Arsene Wenger’s 'daylight' offside rule used for first time in Canadian Premier League

ArgentinaAustraliaBelgiumBrazilCameroonCanadaCosta RicaCroatiaDenmarkEcuadorEnglandFranceGermanyGhanaIranJapanMexicoMoroccoNetherlandsNorthern IrelandPolandPortugalQatarRepublic of IrelandSaudi ArabiaScotlandSenegalSerbiaSouth KoreaSpainSwitzerlandTunisiaUruguayUSMNTUSWNTWalesPodcastsArsene Wenger’s ‘daylight’ offside rule used for first time in Canadian Premier LeagueA goal between Pacific FC and Halifax Wanderers was allowed to stand under the law trial OneSoccer/Canadian Premier League Share article1Arsene Wenger’s “daylight” offside rule was officially implemented for the first time in football history on Saturday, allowing a goal to stand during a Canadian Premier League fixture. Alejandro Diaz’s opener for Pacific FC against Halifax Wanderers was awarded despite the forward being marginally ahead of the second-to-last defender, meaning it would have been disallowed under the standard offside law. The alteration to the offside law, proposed by former Arsenal manager and FIFA’s chief of global football development Wenger, means that as long as there is no visible gap — or daylight — between the attacker and the last defender, then the forward player will be onside. The attacking player is considered onside so long as one part of their body that can be used to score — ruling out their hands and arms — is in line with, or behind, the second-to-last defender. It is designed to favour attacking play and “boost the flow of matches”, FIFA has said. The regulation change began being trialed at the beginning of the 2026 Canadian Premier League season this month, in cooperation with FIFA and the International Football Association Board (IFAB), football’s lawmakers. During the third weekend of fixtures in the CPL, the law was seen in action for the first time in the 20th minute of Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Wanderers Grounds. In the second phase of play following a corner kick, Pacific midfielder Matthew Baldisimo had a volley parried away by Wanderers goalkeeper Marco Carducci. Diaz collected the rebound and finished from close range, and a number of the Wanderers team appealed for offside. Diaz was ahead of Lorenzo Callegari, the second-last defender and from whom the offside is measured, meaning he would have been ruled offside under the existing offside law. But given there was deemed to be no visible gap between the two players, Diaz was considered onside under the CPL’s revised rule. We saw the impact of Arsène Wenger's 'daylight offside' rule in the #CPLSoccer match between the Halifax Wanderers and Pacific FC Here's how close Alejandro Díaz was to being offside on his goal📏 pic.twitter.com/7rr72O7qqQ — OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 18, 2026 Wenger’s offside law proposal was first tabled in 2020. The existing law states that if any part of the attacker’s body that can be used for scoring is beyond the second-to-last player, then this is offside. The offside rule has come under particular scrutiny following the introduction of VAR and semi-automated offsides, with goals sometimes disallowed for the tightest of infringements and when it is questionable whether the attacking player has gained an advantage. CPL Commissioner James Johnson said of the trial upon the announcement on March 31: “This is about positioning the Canadian Premier League at the forefront of innovation and contributing meaningfully to the global evolution of the game. “By working closely with FIFA and IFAB, we are proud to play a role in shaping the future of football, while continuing to build a competition that reflects our ambition here in Canada.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Ali Rampling is a Deputy Managing Editor at The Athletic. Prior to joining The Athletic, she worked as the Women's Football Editor at 90min. Ali attended Loughborough University, and originates from Ipswich. Follow Ali on Twitter @AliRampling